Thunderous Star
is a Rider that appears in the Riders of Discord DLC featured in Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate. Description The Thunderous Star is a young man clad in white Pop Star gear who wields an Oppressor's Forger Great Sword. He is a human of above-average height and average build, and has pale skin, yellow eyes, short, blonde hair, and a mustache that reaches his chin in terms of length paired with a short beard. Personality The Thunderous Star exhibits a cautious demeanor around others, getting easily alarmed by his surroundings and becoming unnerved by things like the Fossil Knight's sneezing. However, if pushed far enough, he will become enraged, not backing down in the face of danger unless he knows he doesn’t stand a chance. He is a big fan of the Handler, speaking of her in high praise and getting irritated if anyone is unsupportive of her. He can be seen working with the Violet Guardian at times, viewing him as a trusted ally, and writes stories based on their adventures together whenever he gets the chance. Background Born and raised in Pokke Village, the young man known as the Thunderous Star was fairly popular within his hometown growing up, even before he gained his title, being a hit with the ladies and garnering admiration from the gents due to his looks and shy, yet adorable demeanour, but only had eyes for two things within and outside his village: a young woman from the New World known as the Handler, and the chance to clash against powerful monsters that many fledgling hunters within and outside of Pokke would dream of hunting. However, the only way he would accomplish the latter task was to prove his worth as a hunter to the village elders, who viewed him as a coward due to how easily he could be caught off guard by things like sneezing and rustling tree branches, and he practically begged them to let him go and see the world and the girl he pined for, and they let him hunt in the Arctic Ridge out of pity. It was a long and tedious process, with him getting repeatedly mowed down by Bulldromes as he gathered Mountain Herbs and hunted small game like Giaprey and Anteka, to the point where it seemed like they had a personal vendetta against him, and they soon became his least favourite monsters due to their continuous assaults necessitating the assistance of other Pokke Hunters on a daily basis and making him look wimpy to the elders. Angry with the beasts for embarrassing him in front of everyone and nearly ruining his chances of seeing the outside world and meeting the Handler, the Thunderous Star retaliated by slaughtering every single one he saw, reducing incidences of attacks on villagers and providing the village with enough meat to last them for weeks, if not months, and impressed with the raw emotion he could achieve when pushed far enough, the Pokke Elder asked him to hunt a Khezu that took up residence within the Arctic Ridge and attacked gatherers tasked with collecting Carnivore Eggs and Khezu Whelps, leaving them with serious wounds and necessitating the intervention of Felynes with carts. This did not go easy, either, as in spite of how hard he tried, the Flying Wyvern caused trouble for the Star with its lightning shields and long reach, and within the middle of the fight, it lunged at the roughed-up Star with the intention of eating him and electrocuted him with its fangs in order to weaken him. Knowing he would die if he didn't act fast, he pulled out a Large Barrel Bomb and shoved it down the Khezu's throat, with it exploding within the beast's gullet and sending him flying out of its maw, and while it was reeling from the shock, the Star ran towards it with reckless abandon, unleashing a barrage of heavy sword slams that reduced it to a bloody, mangled corpse within seconds, with the assault only stopping when he fainted after the adrenaline boost wore off, which necessitated the Felyne Cart despite his victory. Upon the completion of this harrowing quest, the hidden strength and courage that laid within the Thunderous Star’s skittish exterior were acknowledged by the village elders, who granted him the rite of travel which would ensure that he would get to carry out his desire to encounter the monsters he dreamed of hunting and the woman he loved so much. As his wounds were tended to, he noticed a pamphlet requesting the assistance of Old-World hunters within the New World, for the researchers within Astera and Seliana were in need of crucial information on monsters that could only be acquired by sending hunters out into the fields, and after fully recovering within the span of two weeks, he embarked on a voyage to a new land via airship. Joining him on this airship was a travelling Rider clad in Gammoth gear who, while terse and gruff, was content to share the art of Monster Riding with anyone who was willing to listen, and she told him about the bonds that form between master and monster and the power they exude when used right as the airship flew, then demonstrated it by bringing down a pack of Ogromtyv that harassed the airship mid-flight with her trusted partner, a Gammoth. Once she finished the explanation, she handed him a Kinship Stone before heading off on an exploration of her own, wishing him the best of luck in their hunts, and the Star, fascinated by the idea of working with monsters instead of just hunting them, set out to become the best hunter and Rider he could be. It would be this random act of kindness from a stranger that would determine his future as hunters working within the New World. Upon reaching the shores of Astera, the Thunderous Star was greeted by members of the Fifth Fleet, who granted him a New World hunting permit and a house he could stay together in before and after their hunts, and once he finished getting accustomed to his new residence, he received various tasks within the Ancient Forest to fulfill, ranging from Unique Mushroom-gathering to the culling of large monsters that were wandering too close to the research base, which would allow him to move on to other areas within the New World. During a request to hunt an Anjanath, the Star came across a most troubling sight: an orphaned, juvenile Coral Pukei-Pukei, which was part a species foreign to the forest and forced to live within it due of Velkhana outbreaks within the Coral Highlands, being beaten into submission by a pair of poachers who intended to sell it as an exotic pet on the black market, with these poachers having manipulated the Anjanath’s movements beforehand to ensure that it would fight with the young Flying Wyvern’s father, who succumbed to wounds inflicted by the Brute Wyvern during its attempt to protect the nest. Incensed by the poachers’ cruelty, the Star took them head-on, and successfully repelled them with sheer rage. Appreciative of his support, the juvenile Pukei-Pukei decided to join him, choosing him as its new parental figures, and later returned the favour when the fatigued, but unwavering Anjanath ambushed him, distracting it with shrill calls and watery sprays from its tail and allowing him to set up a Pitfall Trap surrounded by Barrel Bombs and Raw Meat lures that would ensure the Brute Wyvern’s defeat. Upon the completion of this hunt, the Fifth Fleet allowed him to keep the Coral Pukei-Pukei, deciding that all three would be happier together, and the Star, having imprinted on it, nicknamed it Cora and had it join him on their travels. It would be this event that cemented his status as Riders. As a bonus, the Handler gave him high praise for the event and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to faint from sheer joy. As he traveled throughout the New World, the duo, though teamwork combined with sheer determination, continuously overcame challenges thrown their way and added more Monsties to their collection. It was a process of trial and error, with them losing their intended quarry due to invasions from outside forces like Deviljho or Bazelgeuse or being overpowered by the aggressive tactics of Diablos and Kushala Daora, and even in battles they won soundly, they would occasionally suffer bouts of humiliation, ranging from the Star getting pelted by dung from a Congalala to the him getting frustrated by a Plesioth who refused to be fished out, but nonetheless, the Star managed to form a full team of Monsties for him, acquire powerful weapons forged from the scales and shells of mighty Thunder wyverns, get revenge on the monsters who initially beat them to a pulp or drove their targets away, and make snazzy white and gold Pop Star suits for themselves, the second and fourth of which granted them their signature titles. Throughout his adventures, he gained respect recognition within Astera and Seliana, being well past his humble origins as the hunter who got repeatedly bullied by Bulldromes and nearly had his adventure end before it started because the Pokke elders thought he was a cowardly wimp. However, a certain event would divide him from the New World he adored. One fateful day, as the Thunderous Star and his Monsties were boarding a boat in pursuit of new lands to explore, they were blindsided by an ambush from an Amatsu, who destroyed their ship and threw them into the ocean with raging tornadoes and hurricanes, with the Star falling unconscious following the assault and needing to be carried above water by Cora, who was washed away alongside him. Upon awakening, he realized that he and his troupe had washed up upon the shores of a series of unfamiliar islands, and fearing for his life in the event that the Amatsu reappeared, he ventured to the centre of the isles to request help from the Riders of Discord who congregated there. Happy to help a stranger in need due to the isles having a history of people suddenly washing up on the shores, the Riders of Discord took him in, gave him a room of his own, and helped him get back into physical shape by engaging in friendly duels with him. Here, he made friends with many members of the congregation, with the most notable one being the Violet Guardian, who wrote a series of comics starring exaggerated caricatures of themselves going on odd and sometimes dumb adventures together with him. Here on the isles, he would make a new life for himself, but still sought to return to the New World eventually so he could win the Handler's heart, or have her come to the isles. The Riders, mostly amused by his love for her, decided to humour him by writing stories about him being her sweetheart and writing sappy poetry about his love for her before sending it to the New World. But little did he know that a new arrival within the isles could be the key to seeing her again... Abilities True to his name, the Thunderous Star specializes in the Thunder Element, using it through the Oppressor’s Forger Great Sword, and can heal himself with restorative dances through his use of the Pop Star gear. His Monsties of choice are Oxaneiros, Brachydios, Demolothor, Coral Pukei-Pukei, Ferogul, and Mizutsune. He displays a sense of teamwork, acting alongside the Violet Guardian to bring down opponents at times. Tropes that Apply to Them * Berserk Button: ** He doesn’t take kindly to people dismissing or insulting the Handler, and this can include the player. ** He despises Plesioths, Congalalas, Bulldromes, Diabloses, Khezus, Kushala Daoras, Bazelgeuses, and Deviljhos, and if the player brings them into battle, he’ll become angered, gaining a buff to Attack and a debuff to Accuracy. ** To a lesser extent, claiming that Oxaneiros is inferior to Solmaron irritates him, and this claim contributes to his rivalry with the Fossil Knight. * The Chew Toy: Early in his hunting career, he was frequently battered and harassed by Bulldromes as he tried to do anything within the Snowy Mountains, ranging from gathering herbs to hunting small game. * Cowardly Lion: He's cautious and skittish to a fault, but he can fight just as well as the other Riders of Discord, as a Khezu that nearly killed him found out the hard way. * Dance Battler: He utilizes boosted healing dances through his Pop Star outfit in addition to landing heavy blows with his Great Sword. * Dual Boss: The Violet Guardian can be fought alongside him at times. * Fanboy: He has nothing but high praise for the Handler, viewing her as the most beautiful woman in the world, and mocking her like some Riders of Discord do is a good way to bring out his hidden rage. * Mighty Glacier: As a Great Sword user, he prioritizes power over speed. * The Rival: ** He has a relatively friendly rivalry with the Fossil Knight due to them having different opinions over which Spinosaurus-like monster is better; the Star thinks Oxaneiros is better, while the Knight thinks Solmaron is better. ** A less friendly one occurs with a Discord Cadet known as the Jurassic Artist due to the latter's hatred of the Handler, and if the player sides with one of them, the other will oppose him/her in battle. Fortunately for him/her, the one they side with will offer to assist them. * Shock and Awe: He utilizes the Thunder Element through his Great Sword. * Unstoppable Rage: Goes into an uncontrollable rage when pushed far enough. Notes and Trivia * The Thunderous Star was based on FrostSpino, a user on the fanon wiki and Discord. * His Birthday, Mar. 24th, is the same as FrostSpino’s. * His relationship with the Violet Guardian was based on an in-joke within the Discord server. This in-joke involved a constantly angry hunter named Rohan (created by FireBall13, who was the basis for the Guardian) and a frequently wary hunter named Spino (created by FrostSpino, of course) going on inane adventures together and being paired together in various pictures. Category:NPC Character Category:Nin10DillN64 Category:Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate